We started in the cars from Coatesville on the 17th of October with the Word for that day fresh in our minds, greatly encoura ging us, (Ps. 35. 27.) and soon found ourselves set down in Terre Haute, a beautiful little town on the Wabash river. After an hour's rest and refreshment, were snugly seated in the Springfield stage coach, driving away across the country towards the Grand Prairie of Illinois, which we reached in the night, longing for daylight that we might see it; but ere the light of that day had sped, we were weary of looking at the "Grand Prairie," for we saw little else than a grand expanse of withered grass in gloomy desolation, glowing in the sun beams, unrelieved by shrub or tree or shady grove. After 150 miles stage riding to Springfield, and 60 by cars to Naples, on the 1llinois River, we took a buggy and rode 12 miles to Griggsville in the midst of a very fertile section of country, occupied principally by enigrants from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Next morning found me in a two horse hack, alone, on my way to Quincy, having left sr. B. visiting at her uncle's near G. Soon after arriving at Q. went on board the steamboat 'St. Paul' bound up the river for Keokuk, Ia., where I arrived Saturday night, and took lodgings for the Sabbath. Spent an edifying Sabbath listening to two excellent discourses. Next day travelled through a rich looking country of alternate prairie and timber, the latter part of the day's journey being along the delightful valley of the river Des Moines. This day's ride was 55 miles from Keokuk, by stage, to Keosauqua. Now I took hack again, and crossing the Des Moines, bore away westward towards Appanoose county. This day's traverse took us over divers muddy creeks, and timbered bluffs, and winding ravines, and miniature prairies. The country began to look strangely new, causing me often to inquire mentally how it might be with our brethren in Moravia. My last day's travel was from Bloomfield, Davis County, 25 miles to M., over fertile prairies, increasing in extent and natural beauty till you arrive there. But the day being stormy, we could not get a fair view of them till our return trip. Was taken from Bloomfield to Moravia in a tottering wreck of a western buggy, playing various swaggering antics as it reeled along, drawn by the breathing skeleton of what my sociable postillion, called a "noble animal." As we neared the "town," I could but exclaim in admiration of the delightful prospect as far as the driving snow-flakes would permit us to survey it. Nearer and nearerwe came, "wondering" if the town were not close by; when lo! it stood before us in stately frontier grandeur! But being cold and weary, and finding br. Conrad's a little distance before reaching the place, we hitched horse and went in, taking them all by surprise, for they "had done looking for a visit" this fall. However, I had substantial reason to believe they were not sorry to see me; and that evening as we assembled the family group for worship, there were mingled tears and sobs, which seem

ed to speak fervent gratitude to Him who "goes before" his people and " prepares the way" for them in every enterprise undertaken for His Glory. Early the next morning, my travelling friend, (a Methodist brother) requested me to send an appointment by him, back to Bloomfield, to fulfil on my return through that place, which I did, and he departed. Now for a peep at Moravia, said I to br. C., and we soon stood in fair day view of it. Would you believe it? Six oaken huts-a scanty group-with one small house of merchandise, standing like lonely sentinels upon the wide and vacant plain, constitutes the present "town" of Moravia; and not one of our brethren reside in it. Br. T. T. Vierling lives one fourth of a mile east of it, br. Joseph Stauber one half, and br. E. Conrad three fourths of a mile, nearly in the same direction; while Mr. Ed. Reich, the husband of sr. Aurelia Reich, lives about one half m. south of the village, with whom also resides the single sr. Louisa Herbst,-making in all eight communicant members of our Church at Moravia; all of whom seem truly attached to her, as with filial love. Thursday, the day after my arrival, sr. Reich sent for me to baptize her children. At 10 o'clock we assembled there, and kept a solemn meeting, at which four infants, (two children of sr. R. and two, her brother's children) were dedicated to the Lord in holy baptism. The parents of the latter, though not communicant members, professed faith in our Savior, in answer to questions in the presence of the assembled congregation, and then and there promised to use their endeavors to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, as far as lay in their power consistently to do, God being their Helper. At the close of this meeting, an appointment was made for preaching on Sabbath morning at br. Vierling's, and in the afternoon at the house of a kind neighbor in the village. But we made arrangements to have the Lord's Supper celebrated between the time of these two meetings. In the mean time, there were several young people who desired to be privately instructed, part of whom had attended the regular instructions kept for youth in the Salem congregation. On Saturday morning, therefore, they were carefully and solemnly instructed in regard to experimental religion, and at the close of the meeting this proposition was made to them, viz: That they should consider the matter seriously and prayerfully during the following three days, whether they desired to be confirmed in our Church, in order to which they must conscientiously and sincerely answer the confirmation questions at the conclusion of our 66 Epitome of Christian doctrine”—which I read to them; and then, on Tuesday they should assemble again for instruction, and let me know their decision." With this, after singing a suitable hymn, in which they all joined, I dismissed them. Meanwhile the peaceful Sabbath came, and at 11 o'clock, a goodly number of hearers were assembled at the house of br. V., to listen to

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the preached word; to whom I spoke with affectionate liberty from 1 Cor. 16. 22. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ." etc.. There was eager attention through the entire service, and there was a general voice in the singing of our most familiar tunes, which our brethren and their elder children had not forgotten. After this service, we assembled around the hallowed table of our Lord, the instructed youths being present for the first time in their lives, and partook of the sacred symbols of his broken body and poured-out blood; and we were blessed. The meeting in the afternoon was fully attended, the house not being large enough to contain all who assembled; but the day being pleasant, the door was left open, and several attentive listeners stood outside. Br. E. Conrad had published a prayer meeting two weeks previous, to be held at that time and place, and it was now understood throughout the neighborhood that I would fulfil the appointment. But the time was occupied mostly in speaking upon the subject of prayer and prayer meetings, from Acts 12. 12: "Where many were gathered together, praying." Br. Conrad concluded with a fervent prayer. On Monday we met together and talked of all things of interest to the brethren there, when I learned these facts. That a kind sister in Salem had sent them some time ago, $100, to enter eighty acres of land for church purposes; forty acres to be laid out in town lots, the proceeds of which were to be kept for age erection and minister's support, and the remaining forty acres for a site for the proposed church and parsonage, for grave-yard and for the minister to cultivate or otherwise use to assist in hi support; that they had already received about $40 for lots, and had sold more than were yet paid for; that they have in hand $120 for Church erection, presented to them mostly by another kind sister in Salem, together with $10 for a stove to warm their church; and that a number of persons in that settlement had kindly offered to contribute of the work of their hands something towards the enterprise one in particular, promising the value of $15. But we had not been long together when a fire broke out on the prairie east of us, apparently one or two miles distant when we first noticed it, and not apprehending danger from it to ourselves, we talked on a few minutes, when the cry of alarm came to our ears from the direction of br. Stauber's, whither we all hastened, with the greatest dispatch; but ere we reached the house, one fourth of a mile distant, we saw all his hay and oat stacks wrapt in the driving flame, and we ourselves cut off from immediate approach by a sheet of crackling fire, running with locomotive speed directly across our path. We waited but a few impatient moments, and then, after one or two unsuccessful sallies, made our way through the dense and choking clouds of smoke and flame, only to find that we could not save the winter's feed for the poor cattle. But we did save the house, stable and fence by dint of the most intense exertions; and

also br. Vierling's property was saved only by "fighting the fire," as they say, by sprinkling the grass, along the edge of the flame, with water, and battering it with slats of weather-board. The good neighbors gathered themselves in battle array against the fiery artilleries of Vulcan, and fought like the Greeks at Thermopylæ. There was one tall Kentuckian who seemed to bear the sword of Leonidas, and it did seem to me, that the veritable hero, versus Xerxes, could not have fought more desparately, and certainly not so happily, for we all survived the encounter, with only crimson faces, watery eyes and panting lungs, together with the loss of animal plunder. The fire did not cease raging until the next day, when probably four or five thousand acres had been burnt completely over, and left a wide expanse of charred and dismal blackness. The brethren declared that evening, that they had soundly learned this lesson, never again to neglect the precaution to burn a space around their premises about the beginning of Autumn, that the fire might have nothing to feed upon, in the event of another "burning." But br. Stauber bore his loss very quietly, saying, "It might have been a great deal worse," and that, "If his neighbors, who were indebted to him for blacksmith-work, would bring him corn, he could keep his cattle from starving." But next day at ten o'clock, our young people, among whom was a married daughter of br. Stauber, assembled once more for instruction, and for making known to me their decision in regard to confirmation. There were six of them, in age from 14 to 20 years; and all, save one, decided to be confirmed, entirely of their own accord, and by their own wish This day was to be our farewell-day, in which, a church was to be organized, a confirmation to take place, three infants to be baptized, and a love-feast to be kept, besides reading the discipline-all of which was accomplished in good season, the love-feast concluding the day. And let me assure you, dear brethren, that we felt ourselves greatly blessed that day. During the concluding address, especially to the confirmands, there were but few dry eyes in the house. O that they may prove faithful! Before they left the house, the articles of organization were read, with the Mutual Agreement attached, and they signed it with their own hands, thirteen in number, in fair and legible characters.

Enclosed is a copy of the Mutual Agreement adopted, being the same adopted in our congregation in Coatesville, which is hereby offered to the Conference for their inspection, and approval, with the request to let us know, when practicable, whether we may use it or not.

The brethren in Iowa wish very much to have a minister among them as soon as they can get up a little house of worship and a parsonage; which they think of going about soon, and working along with from time to time, as their own concerns at home will admit. They promised to give, in merchantable produce from their

farms, the value of $15 a piece annually, and furnish him with garden vegetables, milk and eggs, not to be reckoned in,--besides cutting and putting at his door, a good hay stack from the prairie for his horse, if he keeps one. And before I left, one of the brethren said he would do more, if he had common success in producing. Mr. R. has also stated that, for the sake of his family, he would do as much as any of them for the support of a church there. I was much pleased with the appearance of the country about Moravia. You stand upon the village square, and look out in every direction upon beautiful rolling prairies, reaching north-east and south, as far as the eye can see; but on the west, the horizon is skirted with a strong growth of oak and other timber, which approaches within two or three miles of the place; and it is there that our brethren procure their fence and building timber, each of them owning from forty to eighty acres, in connection with the prairie land on which they are settled. Farms with small improvements, such as our brethren have made, are to be had in that neighborhood at from $3 to $5 per acre, including the woodland a little way off. There are also several tracts of forty acres each, near by, yet not entered, to be had at government price. Water, good and wholesome, can be procured by digging from fifteen to thirty feet. And on many of the farms, there is water for stock running, or standing, in the winding ravines, which separate the different prairies into what the people there call, "Divides." Down into these winding ravines, on either side, the prairies slope, in smooth and gentle bluffs, delightful to the eye of one who has lived a while in narrow glades, walled in by towering forests. But I forgot to state, that these ravines are usually lined with a moderate growth of wood, sufficient, in most instances, to supply fuel for many years to come, perhaps perpetually, to the settlers dwelling by them, their houses being built upon the brows of the nearest slopes. The soil on these plains is a rich black loam, varying in depth, from one to three feet. Truly, that is a country of, at least, one great natural resource for wealth. Moravia and its vicinity also possess another advantage, in being located on the great emigration thoroughfare leading to Council Bluffs, and thence to Oregon. But there are drawbacks not to be omitted, -such as the following: Mail only once a week, fruit scarce, apples $1 per bushel, (only because orchards have not yet been planted) few school, store, and mill privileges, no stage running within several miles of the place, burning of the prairies, etc.

Coatsville, Nov. 27.-We arrived here yesterday via Madison and Indianapolis, all well, thank God,-and now we will, with your permission, go back to Moravia, where we left off our pen and ink rambles on the great River, and take a fair start; and, if you please, our return-trip shall be very short.

Took leave of our dear brethren in Iowa, on Wednesday morn